mitchell



D 3, 1935- w. J. MITCHELL 2,023,027

DRILL RIG Filed May 29; 1954 Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES FATENT@E'FIQE DRILL RIG Application May 29', 1934, Serial No. 728,113

7 Claims.

My present invention relates to an improved drill rig or equipmentdesigned for use with rotary drilling machines. In the usual undergroundoperations of these machines, means are readily accessible in connectionwith the surrounding walls of a tunnel or mine passage, for rigidlysupporting the machine, and guiding the drill rod in its true course;but when the machines are employed in the open and above ground 10 todrill into the earth from its surface, a difficult problem is presentedin holding the ma chine against vibrations and in maintaining theadvancing drill rod in its true course.

By the utilization of my invention, I provide equipment or rigging forthe drilling machine when the latter is employed above ground, as indrilling into the vertical face of a wall of earth, or into a hillsideor other acute angle of the ground, and the rigging or equipmentprovides a rigid supporting structure for the machine and a guide andsupport for the drill rod. In actual practice my equipment has beenemployed in drilling holes from 50 to 70 feet into the granite face of asheer wall of earth at an altitude sometimes as high as 1006 feet. Dueto the simplicity in construction, ready adjustment of parts, and theuse of -a minimum number of parts, the rig may with facility beassembled and erected for use, and the machine may with equal facilitybe set up, in places and under adverse conditions otherwise consideredimpracticable. Thus in excavation Work and other similar operations theprogress of the work is facilitated, the cost of operations is lowered,and accuracy in drilling the holes is assured.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed. In theaccompanying drawing I have illustrated one complete example of thephysical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined andarranged according to one mode I have thus far devised for the practicalapplication of the principles of my invention. It will be understoodthat changes and alterations are contemplated and may be made, withinthe scope of my claims, without departing from the principles of myinvention.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing a portion of the rig; and Figure2 is an assembly view showing the set-up, with the drill rod workingsubstantially perpendicular to the sloping face of the ground.

In carrying out my invention, when drilling from the surface into theearth on a line at an angle to the surface of the earth, as indicated inFigure 2, a construction hole is first bored to the desired depth intothe face of the wall W, by use of a suitable tool, as a jack hammerdrill, and a pipe or sleeve i is then inserted into the 5 hole, andfixed therein by a cement deposit which forms a jacket C for the guidesleeve i. This sleeve, which may be 2" in diameter and 2 long, more orless, is alined in the direction in which the hole is to be drilled bythe rotary drill rod 10 R and the bit B at the forward end of the rod.

The guide sleeve is rigidly embedded in the earth to ample depth toguide the drill rod, and the outer end of the sleeve projects from thewall W for use in supporting the rig or equipment for the drillingmachinery.

In order that the general arrangement and utility of parts may readilybe understood I have shown a swiveled type of drilling machine operatedby the engine or motor M, which is supported from the swivel head S anddrill head I). The drill rod, as it revolves, is advanced by the feedscrew F, a control lever is indicated at L, and a platform 3? is builton the wall W, for convenience of the operator, and for use as a 25supporting element for the rig or equipment.

The bit B and the rod B have been entered through the guide sleeve 9 inFigure 2, and the machine is shown in position for actual use.

The portable rig or equipment includes a main 30 post 2 which ispreferably hollow, and is disposed in parallelism with the the drill rodR and its guide sleeve 5, and the post unites the drill head or frame ofthe machine, rigidly, with the ground-sleeve I. For this purpose Iemploy an 35 adjustable clamp device between one end of the post and theguide sleeve, and another adjustable clamp between the other end of thepost and the machine or its frame, and the parts of these clamp devicesare readily assembled and 0 adjusted by the use of suitable tools.

The clamp for the ground-sleeve i includes a main block 3 with its cap 3and the clamp bolts 5 by means of which the device is rigidly bolted inadjusted position on the projecting end of 45 the sleeve. A clamp saddle6 mounted on the post is bolted at 6' to the block, and the outer capplate l mounted on the post is bolted to the saddle at 8. In this mannera quick-detachable, but rigid connection is made between 50 the rigidsleeve 5 and the post 2.

At the upper or machine-end of the post, the clamp device includes asaddle 9 mounted on the post and bolted at iii to a part II of the drillhead or machine frame, and the comple- 55 mentary cap-plate [2 which ismounted on the post is bolted at l3 to the saddle 9. In this manner thepost is united to the sleeve l and the machine frame to form a rigidsupporting structure for the drilling machine, and which is capable ofwithstanding the vibrations due to the operation of the engine or motor,and of course the post takes the strains or stresses from the drill rodand permits the latter to operate freely and be guided by the enclosingsleeve i.

For reinforcing the post structure I provide the post with a lateral arm[4, that is adjustably secured at its upper end, and. this arm isequipped with a clamp head l5 fitted against the post, and acomplementary cap plate It is mounted on the post diametrically oppositethe clamp head, and bolted to the head by a pair of bolts l1. Beneaththe lateral arm M, an upright brace, or jack-bar I8 is located, with itsbottom or lower end resting upon the platform P, and the upper end ofthe bar is provided with an adjusting screw l9 and lock nut 25 forextending or shortening the brace. The free end of the adjusting screw,as indicated in Figure 1, is forked or bifurcated at 2| to fit snugly upagainst the rounded face of the lateral arm l4, and as shown in Figure 2this upright brace relieves the post 2 of excessive weight of thedrilling machine.

An additional brace for the engine or motor M is shown in Figure 1,where the brace bar 22 is provided with an angular yoke 23 which may bebolted to the motor or to a rigid portion of the frame of the machine,and this brace is clamped in adjusted position by clamp device 24 on thelateral arm I4.

As thus described it will be apparent that the parts of the rig orequipment may readily be handled, in setting up the machine foroperations, in adjusting the various parts of the rig with relation oneto another, and these parts may quickly be associated with the machineframe and the supporting sleeve to provide the rigid support for thedrilling machine. After the hole has been bored or drilled, the set-upmay with facility be dismantled and the parts removed to another pointfor drilling.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In a rig for a portable drilling machine, the combination with a postarranged in parallelism with a drill rod, a tubular ground support,quick detachable means comprising a pair of clamps at one end of thepost for rigidly attaching the post the latter is supported on the postand the drill rod is operated through the tubular groundsleeve.

3. In a rig for drilling machines, the combination with a fixedground-sleeve, of a post disposed in a plane parallel with theground-sleeve, l5

quick detachable means comprising a pair of clamps for uniting thesleeve and post, and quick detachable means on the post for uniting thelatter with a drilling machine.

4. In a rig for drilling machines, the combination with a fixedground-sleeve, of a post disposed in a plane parallel with the groundsleeve, means for rigidly uniting said sleeve and post, means on thepost for rigidly uniting the latter with a drilling machine, a brace forthe post dis- 25 posed at an angle to said post, and a support for thebrace.

5. In a rig for a drilling machine, the combination with a fixedground-sleeve, of a post disposed in a plane parallel with the sleeveand means for rigidly uniting the post with said sleeve, a lateral armon the post, a brace for said arm and a support for the brace, and meanson the post for rigidly uniting the drilling machine and post.

6. In a rig for a drilling machine, the combination with a groundsupport, of a post, means for attaching said post to the ground supportand means for attaching the post to a. drilling machine, a lateral armon the post, a brace for said arm and a support for the brace and meanson the lateral arm for bracing the engine of the drilling machine.

'7. In a rig for a drilling machine, the combination with a groundsupport, of a post, means for attaching said post to the ground supportand means for attaching the post to a drilling machine, a lateral arm onthe post, a brace for said arm and a support for the brace and anangular yoke on the lateral arm for attachment to the motor of thedrilling machine to rigidly secure it in position.

WILLIAM J. MITCHELL.

